1959 Cadillac Dealer Promotional Model
1959 Cadillac Dealer Promotional Model
- Description
- In America’s expanding consumer culture of the 1950s, buying a new car symbolized increased purchasing power and a desire for beauty, comfort, horsepower, and mobility. Big luxury cars sold well, and General Motors, like other manufacturers, kept supplies of model cars in showrooms as teasers and as a color selection guide. Sales representatives gave dealer promotional models to prospective customers, and the same models or similar models could be purchased in stores. This model, which the donor purchased in a toy store, highlighted the latest Cadillac styles and fashions, including soaring, blade-like tail fins with bullet-shaped tail lights. Small but popular marketing tools, model cars accentuated the annual model change as auto makers discarded last year’s features in favor of this year’s novelties and advances.
- Object Name
- model car
- Physical Description
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 2 1/8 in x 3 1/8 in x 8 3/8 in; 5.3975 cm x 7.9375 cm x 21.2725 cm
- ID Number
- 2014.0032.04
- catalog number
- 2014.0032.04
- accession number
- 2014.0032
- Credit Line
- Gift of Paul B. McCracken III
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
- American Enterprise
- Transportation
- Road Transportation
- Exhibition
- American Enterprise
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.